U.S. Representatives for Stark County are split on the route to ending the federal government shutdown.
Democratic Congresswoman Emilia Sykes wants a provision extending Affordable Care Act tax credits included in the legislation to reopen the government.
Republican Congressman Michael Rulli says the government must reopen before negotiations on the tax credits can begin.
The federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 is the second-longest in U.S. history, with no end in sight.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to fund the government at existing spending levels. It is stalled in the Senate.
Thousands of federal employees have been laid off or furloughed, and federal programs are at risk of being cut off. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Oct. 27 funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has “run dry” amid the shutdown and no SNAP benefits will be issued as of Nov. 1.
The fight to reopen the government is centered around health care. Democrats want an extension of enhanced premium tax credits that lower premiums for health plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace and a reversal of Medicaid cuts passed over the summer.
Republicans want to debate the issue after the shutdown is over.
Rep. Emilia Sykes shares government shutdown frustration
Sykes, D-Akron, is worried about people in the 13th District that rely on ACA tax credits to pay for health care and for the health care system overall if subsidies expire.
She’s frustrated with Republicans who refuse to negotiate on including the health care provisions in legislation to reopen the government.
“Sometimes the fish rots from the head … and the Speaker (Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana) allows the House to be a laughingstock,” Sykes said during an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal Oct. 14. “Congress is just an extension of the administration when it should be a check and a balance on runaway power.”
Congressional Republicans are blaming the nearly month-long shutdown on Democrats.
Sykes, however, said this standoff could have been avoided. The GOP controls the House, the Senate and the White House. But Republican lawmakers also knew they would need at least five Democratic votes to pass a government funding bill and the GOP has not engaged in bipartisan negotiations, she said.
“It’s dysfunctional and not practical,” Sykes said. “It’s maddening.”
If tax credits are not extended, premiums are expected to double for millions of Americans, according to the research organization KFF.
A 60-year-old couple who live in the 13th District and earn $82,800 per year, for example, would see their ACA health premiums skyrocket by $14,532 annually, according to Keep Americans Covered, a coalition of major health care groups. The same couple in the 6th District would see premiums increase by $15,102.
Sykes said those ACA price increases will set off a chain reaction of negative consequences in health care for everyone.
Health insurance depends on something called “risk pooling,” where the higher costs of sick or injured people are offset by the lower costs of those who are healthier. Without ACA tax credits, fewer people will be able to afford insurance and some insurers will no longer provide ACA coverage, Sykes said.
“That means everyone’s costs will go up,” Sykes said, no matter how they get health insurance.
AultCare, a Stark County insurer, announced in July it would discontinue its HealthCare.gov plans amid uncertainty about future availability of ACA subsidies.
On top of that, hospital systems will again face a substantial financial hit because they will be caring for more uninsured people who cannot pay, something the ACA helped remedy after it was passed 15 years ago.
“Now we could go back to a place of uncompensated care,” Sykes said.
That means hospital systems like Summa and Aultman – the largest employers in Summit and Stark counties – will be looking for ways to cut costs.
“I’m thinking about jobs … not just inside the hospitals,” Sykes said. The impact could reach all businesses connected to the hospitals, everything from toilet paper suppliers to contractors, she said.
“The ripple effect that’s going to happen with this will happen very quickly,” she said.
Sykes has been splitting her time between the 13th District and D.C. during the government shutdown. She’s involved with the “Problem Solver Caucus,” a bipartisan group of House lawmakers looking for solutions. She hopes the parties can work together to end the shutdown.
Rep. Michael Rulli: Republicans willing to negotiate
Rulli, R-Salem, is urging support for the Republican plan to reopen the government. He said the continuing resolution was intentionally kept small to garner bipartisan support.
“This CR was done with the best intentions to keep it as skinny as possible so it would pass both chambers,” Rulli said. “I’m extremely disappointed in the opposition party.”
Republicans say they won’t negotiate on extending the ACA tax credits until the government has reopened.
“(Negotiations) will happen,” Rulli said. “The parties will get together and we will figure it out, and we will fix the subsidies before going into the new year.
“We need to get the government open so we can fix this,” he said.
Rulli pointed to work in congressional committees as proof Republicans want to find a solution to the expiring tax credits.
And, personally, Rulli said he wants to extend them.
“Ohio 6 is a district of blue collar workers … they want these subsidies put in place,” he said.
People in Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, which comprises parts of 11 counties in the eastern portion of the state, are concerned about impacts to federal programs if the shutdown continues.
Many residents are asking about SNAP benefits as funding for the program is expected to run out, Rulli said.
“Nov. 1 is coming very quickly, so we need to get this government open immediately,” Rulli said. “Before we deal with the subsidies, we have to make sure we take care of the SNAP program.”
Rulli blames Democrats for the government shutdown.
“They keep voting to keep it closed,” he said.
Now, he’s worried the shutdown could drag on through November. That would be “devastating,” he said.
He’s concerned for families that will lose SNAP benefits and federal employees, including capitol police and the military, who won’t receive their paychecks.
“I’m not going to be able to sleep,” Rulli said. “Blue collar workers are going to really feel the pain.”
Rulli said he’s visited all 11 counties in his district during the government shutdown to listen to constituents’ concerns. He encouraged people in the district to call his office with questions or for help.
Includes reporting from USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Reps. Sykes and Rulli want to end federal government shutdown. They’re split on how
Reporting by Grace Springer and Amanda Garrett, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
